This is part 2 of Gray's Birthday. It was so long that I had to split it up! This chapter is really sweet, I think. This is the first obvious fluff in the story...but you'll just see!

Claire carried the chocolate cake she had worked so hard on down the road. She entered the Blacksmith's shop, wondering how such a small building could support a party. Holding the cake, she knocked on the door with her foot. Saibara answered it.

"Claire!" he greeted, ushering her in. "Gray, Claire's here!"

Gray emerged from the back room. A smile lit up his face. "Claire, thanks for coming! Oh, let me take that..." He relinquished Claire of the cake. "Follow me."

Claire walked with him into the back room. He opened a door and a set of stairs lay behind it. "The basement," he grinned. "Party's down here. Like I said, it's only close friends."

As they descended down the stairs, the girl heard voices and a radio playing. She stepped off and turned the corner. The room was mildly spacious, with a table taking up most of the room. Amy and Cliff were sitting at the table, just talking. They looked up and smiled. "Hi, guys!" Claire said with a nod.

"Hiya!" Amy said happily.

"Hey," was Cliff's response.

Gray no longer had the cake. He had set it on a spare table nearby, out of sight of both Cliff and Amy. "I'll save that for later," he winked.

Gray and Claire took a seat beside each other. "Ooh!" Amy squealed, placing a very small box on the table. "Open mine first!" Gray took the box and opened it.

"A stress toy?" Gray said, squeezing it experimentally. It was a blue elephant with the words 'Think Happy!' printed on his belly.

"I figured you could probably use it," she laughed.

Gray blinked. "Thanks...I think."

Amy grinned happily. "I knew you'd love it!"

"Mine next," Cliff said, placing a bag on the table. Gray tore open the bag and looked at the contents: two books.

"A History of Mining, and Blacksmithing for Dummies." he read aloud. (Claire was trying desperately not to laugh.)

"Reference," Cliff informed him, tapping the second book's cover.

"Thanks!" Gray smiled.

For the next couple of hours, the four friends just sat and talked. They talked, the girls gossiped, and in a few cases they argued about different opinions, and Amy dared to even sing along to some songs on the radio.

She finally had the sense to look at the clock. "Good Goddess! Look at what time it is! It's 6:00! I should really be getting home."

Gray gave her a friendly smile. "Thanks for the present!"

"No prob!" Amy grinned, running up the stairs.

"I'd better go too," Cliff agreed. "Duke said he needed my help sometime tonight, so I might as well go now."

"Need any help?" Gray offered.

"Nah, I can handle it," he assured them. The sound of his crutches on the wooden stairs sounded for a minute, then disappeared and the door clicked shut.

Claire looked worriedly at the cake she had made. "Oh..." she groaned, "I really hope it turned out well..."

"Let's see then, shall we?" Gray shrugged. He ran up stairs and returned with a couple of plates, forks, and a knife. Claire picked her cake up and removed the covering off of the top. Gray did not say anything about how bad it looked. Skillfully using the knife, he cut two pieces out and placed them carefully on the plates. Putting a fork on the plate, he handed it to Claire and took his own.

They sat down and they took a bite. "Wow, this is pretty good!" Gray exclaimed.

Claire nodded happily. "It is!" she agreed. They shoveled it in, Gray even going for a second piece. "Goddess, I love it!" he said.

Claire just shook her head. "Too bad it looks terrible..."

"It doesn't look that bad!" Gray said, but his mind was racing.

"You've got icing on your lip," Claire laughed.

Gray wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Eh...it's just icing. It'll wash."

Claire chuckled. Both were quiet for a moment. "When's your birthday?" Gray suddenly asked.

"Spring 16th."

I'll have to remember that.

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!! Let's make this a great 2008!

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I didn't want to really combine 9 & 10 for some reason unknown to me now.

Anyway...I know I've had only 2 chapters per season, but I really wanted a Christmas episode and decided to do it, making Winter have 3 instead. The title of the chapter should be pretty self-explanatory to fluff lovers!

-Sweet Dreamer